input costs

Salem's Pratum Cooperative joined a national distribution network, but they're keeping their local roots and independence intact.

A federal court just struck down major parts of the government's new guestworker wage rule, leaving employers in limbo about what comes next.

When farm economies struggle, food banks feel it too. Washington's ranking at the bottom of national farm viability charts is worth paying attention to.

Luke Lindberg from the USDA made a stop in the Northwest, and the Washington Apple Commission had plenty to say about what came out of that visit.

Idaho potato growers took 15,000 acres offline this season trying to balance supply and keep prices from falling. The Idaho Potato Commission says costs are still far above pre-COVID levels and profit is hard to come by.

Fall fertilizer prices are still elevated, with anhydrous ammonia near $915 a ton and diesel hovering around $5 a gallon. University of Illinois researchers say soil tests and smart timing can help farmers manage the cost.

Some agricultural input companies have cooperated with federal investigators, others have not. Now the USDA, DOJ, and FTC are signaling that the review phase is nearly over.

Crop input costs, covering chemicals, fertilizers, and seeds, came in around $70 billion in 2025, making up roughly a third of what crop farms spend each year.

Proposed tariffs on Chinese glyphosate ranged as high as 446% — Bayer has now pulled that petition, sparing farmers a potential price spike on one of agriculture's most-used herbicides.

Central Washington hay growers had a rough go of it in 2026 — and for some, the way they tried to cut costs may have made things worse.